Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler is looking to become the back-to-back Moneyball Pro-Am MVP

The first week of the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am concluded on Thursday and several Michigan State Spartans left their fans excited about what was in store for the rest of the summer.

One of those Spartans was forward Jaxon Kohler, who has thrived in the annual event. Kohler won the Moneyball Pro-Am MVP award last year and appears poised to retain the award this summer.

In fact, he chases it.

“Yes, always,” Kohler said with a smile after scoring 29 points for Team Tri-State Trust on Thursday. “I try to play the best I can every game and just work as hard as I can.”

Kohler’s performance on Thursday followed a solid opening performance on Tuesday, when he scored 33 points.

The junior forward has now had two seasons with the Spartans and will look to play a more impactful role in the 2024-25 season. Kohler’s success at the Moneyball Pro-Am helps him with that.

“(I’m learning) just to keep playing despite setbacks,” he said. “Just when bad things happen, you find a way to get over it, and you keep working hard and never give up.”

Kohler was expected to be a key part of Coach Tom Izzo’s rotation this past season, but would not take the court until January after undergoing foot surgery in October. He would average just 2.0 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game in 21 games, while averaging 9.3 minutes per game.

So far at the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am, it’s clear that Kohler is looking to improve his game in preparation for the 2024-2025 season.

“In the summer you just have to work on, honestly, everything,” Kohler said. “I feel like I’ve always had the ability to shoot; I — last year I never really felt comfortable with a shot in a game because I was kind of thrown into the fire. But I’ve always had a shot, and this year I’m looking forward to showing it a little more in the matches.”

The 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am will be held again on Tuesday, July 9.

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